Thread: Where to draw the line

Asking for help to go catch fish? Ok.

Being a yank with less that ten posts asking for help; swearing you're bringing a kid with you?
That got old after about the 6th one tried it.

Asking for help to catch fish in a tournament?
Good luck with that one! You better have some good friends AND something to reciprocate.

Are you just sore about not getting helped at Lake Washington?
Become a better fisherman, or a better friend.

I'll talk technique all day long. Specific location information, never. Time on the water is the best teacher.

Granted, I seldom fish the spawn and when I do, I don't talk about it. Let them fish do their thing, which leaves more to catch the rest of the year and in future years.

Nope ATM I think ya read wrong into my post. I am happy about getting to talk with and meet everyone over the years. I thank anyone who offered advice and helped too. My post was never about Washington, fishing with my girls, etc. god has been good to me and lord knows I haven't been a saint. Just trying to change my ways over the last year. I don't care about the money in any tourneys!!! I am just a country boy living in the city lol. I have done wrong in the past and as mentioned have been no saint. I have never met you but would shake your hand and make you feel welcome if we ever met. A lot of folks live behind the keyboard and don't practice what they preach!! For the ones that have come to know me I hope they can say that I live the way I talk and treat everyone with the respect thy deserve. A lot "I catch more fish than they do", or "here is another new guy looking for hel"p, or when you leave everyone starts talking about one another. Have seen it and been part of it but that don't make it right!!! The best fishing spots and when the bite is right etc can make some folks do things they may or may not do intentionally!!!

I hope to continue to meet folks and enjoy the thing one thing we have in common, fishing and telling fish stories.

Where do we draw the line?? Anyone who can call himself a true sportsman will gladly help other true sportsmen learn what they need to know to be successful. For us, we get tremendous enjoyment helping other fishermen become successful and put fish in the boat. We fished an Arkansas River lake Saturday that had quite a few boaters....some spider rigging, some two-pole trollers, ect. The vast majority were catching very few fish. We gave out some jig/jigheads and plenty of tips to some of them when we found out they weren't being successful. I know all too well what it is like to make a fishing trip and not catch fish. When we loaded our boat we had four different boatloads of anglers follow us out and question us about how we were catching fish. We spend an hour at the boat showing them everything we were doing including how we had our rods rigged and why, what jig color and type we used and how we decided on that combination, depth, speed, ect. We gladly showed them the basics to enable them to go out there and catch some Crappie. I steered them all to Crappie.com in the hopes that they will join and use the board to become better fishermen. To me, the more the better! By the time I retire I want to see the CrappieMaster Tournament trail have 3-4 times the angler involvement that it does now. On the other hand, we do "draw a line" at the point of giving out what we refer to as "proprietary information" about locations, techniques and rigging that we feel is unique to us as a team that might give someone an advantage if we were to meet up with them at a tournament. Some of that information took years for us to learn and develop......We feel like we have done our part when we have taught someone the basics needed for them to continue their fishing education on a self-directed basis. Then they are "out of the nest" so to speak. I will also sometimes give out fishing locations on a one-to-one basis to fishing friends but saw too many favorite spots become quickly fished out in the past to publicly post those now. They are kept "at low breath or whisper" for those of you who know what I mean. We love to fish tournaments when we are able and they are fairly close. Don't get to fish as many as we would like because we both work fulltime during the week and usually can't prefish. That is a different ballgame from fishing for fun and most of those guys take it real real serious. That brings me to another "line to draw". We usually do a lot of joking and kidding around before tourney's but I would never ask even a close tournament friend for specific information on how they caught fish before a tournament.......I personally consider that to be rude and in poor taste to do so.....and puts that friend in an awkward situation if they will be fishing that same tournament........nor do I persistently pester friends of fellow tournament anglers for information they might have learned in confidence from that tournament angler (going behind his back so to speak). I am sorry for rambling and I hope I haven't offended anyone by anything I have said, that certainly isn't my intention but the topic was "where to draw the line" and I thought I would give my two cents worth on the subject. I am sure others have different thoughts about it and I would like to hear what others feel about it.

I with you luvpt. I've always enjoyed helping out others if I could. Made some great friends In doing so.. I'm never been a big tournament fisherman.. Fished more of them this year than ever and have learned real quick how that game works!! LOL. You'll end up being the one talking fishing and everyone else will be listening fishing.. It can be a one way conversation if you ain't real careful..
That's a part of tournaments I personally don't really like.. But that's part of it..

ABH.. In regards to your post.. I do this. I help folks as much as possible.. Most that are wanting info.. Are just wanting to catch fish.. If it's on my home lake.. I take them to whichever "community hole" is producing fish at that time. You've helped them out and ain't told none of your honey holes that took you hours/years to find

Originally Posted by luvpt

Where do we draw the line?? Anyone who can call himself a true sportsman will gladly help other true sportsmen learn what they need to know to be successful. For us, we get tremendous enjoyment helping other fishermen become successful and put fish in the boat. We fished an Arkansas River lake Saturday that had quite a few boaters....some spider rigging, some two-pole trollers, ect. The vast majority were catching very few fish. We gave out some jig/jigheads and plenty of tips to some of them when we found out they weren't being successful. I know all too well what it is like to make a fishing trip and not catch fish. When we loaded our boat we had four different boatloads of anglers follow us out and question us about how we were catching fish. We spend an hour at the boat showing them everything we were doing including how we had our rods rigged and why, what jig color and type we used and how we decided on that combination, depth, speed, ect. We gladly showed them the basics to enable them to go out there and catch some Crappie. I steered them all to Crappie.com in the hopes that they will join and use the board to become better fishermen. To me, the more the better! By the time I retire I want to see the CrappieMaster Tournament trail have 3-4 times the angler involvement that it does now. On the other hand, we do "draw a line" at the point of giving out what we refer to as "proprietary information" about locations, techniques and rigging that we feel is unique to us as a team that might give someone an advantage if we were to meet up with them at a tournament. Some of that information took years for us to learn and develop......We feel like we have done our part when we have taught someone the basics needed for them to continue their fishing education on a self-directed basis. Then they are "out of the nest" so to speak. I will also sometimes give out fishing locations on a one-to-one basis to fishing friends but saw too many favorite spots become quickly fished out in the past to publicly post those now. They are kept "at low breath or whisper" for those of you who know what I mean. We love to fish tournaments when we are able and they are fairly close. Don't get to fish as many as we would like because we both work fulltime during the week and usually can't prefish. That is a different ballgame from fishing for fun and most of those guys take it real real serious. That brings me to another "line to draw". We usually do a lot of joking and kidding around before tourney's but I would never ask even a close tournament friend for specific information on how they caught fish before a tournament.......I personally consider that to be rude and in poor taste to do so.....and puts that friend in an awkward situation if they will be fishing that same tournament........nor do I persistently pester friends of fellow tournament anglers for information they might have learned in confidence from that tournament angler (going behind his back so to speak). I am sorry for rambling and I hope I haven't offended anyone by anything I have said, that certainly isn't my intention but the topic was "where to draw the line" and I thought I would give my two cents worth on the subject. I am sure others have different thoughts about it and I would like to hear what others feel about it.

You just summed up my feelings in a nut shell. Dee F, you are spot on also.

As far as the line that's up to you. I had 2 FRIENDS fish Grenada last weekend before our tourney this weekend that done pretty good. I talked to both a couple of times this past week and where they fished never came up, maybe the side of the lake was mentioned but not sure it was. I didn't care where they had fished and respected them enuff not to ask as both were fishing our tourney this weekend.
I won't lie or misinform anyone, may not tell them anything but I won't mislead. I here some of the PROS spotting their crap and no for a fact they are strechting what they are saying.
Way I look at it don't call someone only when you need their info, not much respect for that person the way I see it.
With that said, I share my rig with a lot of folks and am more than willing to help. I cant repay the help that has been given me in the last few years, I've also learned that this is no different than any other aspect of life, you will make some life long friends and some others you just say high in passing, pretty much the way the rest of life is.

I'll help anyone with a broke boat no matter if the day is young or old. I'll tell you how I'm fishing, what I'm using. After that its up to you. If someone is starting out and has no clue, maybe I'll suggest some spots to try. Wanna trip with me buy me a tank of gas. Preferably for the truck. You wanna learn the lake. Go out and start fishing. Don't follow me or if you do, keep your distance.